Accused Fla. airport shooter pleads not guilty to federal charges

Jan. 30 (UPI) -- The Army veteran accused of killing five people in a shooting rampage at a South Florida airport pleaded not guilty Monday to almost two dozen criminal charges.

Esteban Santiago appeared at the federal courthouse in Fort Lauderdale for arraignment on 22 charges stemming from the Jan. 6 slayings at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. He affirmed to the judge that he understood each of the charges against him -- which include 10 homicide-related counts and several firearms violations.

His defense attorney told the judge that Santiago pleaded not guilty to each charge.

Santiago, 26, surrendered to authorities after the shooting, which occurred immediately after he arrived on a flight from Alaska, where he had been stationed with the U.S. Army and discharged months earlier.

An Iraq war veteran with a history of psychological problems, Santiago made the flight to Fort Lauderdale specifically to carry out the attack, investigators believe. He has no known ties to South Florida.

Six people were wounded in the attack at the airport, which handled nearly 29 million passengers last year and is one of the busiest in the United States.

Santiago is expected to be transferred soon to a federal detention center in Miami.

If convicted, he could be sent to prison for life, or given a death sentence.